Process of manufacturing products from milk and cream.



C. E.-GRAY.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS FROM MILK AND CREAM.

AFPLICAT ION FILED DEC-13,1910- Paten'ted Mar; 13, 1917.

, cnnsrnaqaann eaa or EUREKA, camronma;

rnoo'nss or mANUrAcErUnmo rnonnors raom MILK ANI) 03am.

To all whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that I, CHESTER EARL GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eureka, county of Humboldt, and State of California, have. invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Processes of Manu-- facturing Products From Milk and Cream;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

It has been generally supposed andbelieved, that changes in flavor taking place in milk and the products of milk, especially cream and butter, when held at ordinary temperature or at lower temperature as in refrigeration, were produced almost wholly by bacteria or enzym fermentation and the probability of changes which are strictly chemical and without the aidof either bacteria or enzyms has received very little attention. Furthermore the flavors produced by pasteurization and sterilization of milk' and cream, which flavors are usually referred to as pasteurized, or oily have been taken as a matter of course, and conceded as inevitable.

sterilized the process naturally will produce certain flavors which in intensity depend largely ,on temperature and the length of time which the milk-or cream is heated. Re- 'ferring again to the holdingof milk, cream 7 and butter, I have found that when milk or cream was pasteurized at temperatures high enough to destroy enzym action or in case of butter where the butter was madefrom creamjust after it had been pasteurized at high temperatures, that when these products were placed in'cold storage at temperatures low enough to prevent bacterial action-material changes in flavor still took place. To illustrate more fully I have held butter, made from cream which had justbeen pasteurized at 185 F.,.in cold storage at 10 F., 'yet at this low temperature very pronounced undesirable flavors developed; flavors termed by butter judges asoily', fishy and decomposed fat. A ain, cream a'steurized at temperatures su ciently big to destroy all enzyms and especially cream high in fat-content, when held at temperatures low enough to practically inhibit the action of bacteria, in most cases, in a" short period Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed December 13,1910. Serial No.

In other words it has been conceded that if milk or cream be-pasteurized orv Patented Mar. 13, 191 '7.

took ona very undesirable oily flavor. 'It

has been found that where milk or cream is handled in. rusty cans or any other utensils in the process of handling or manufacturing where iron compounds become mixed with the product, that undesirable flavors develop in a much shorter'time'than where" these compounds are not present. The intentional addition of various metallic salts as iron, copper, etc., has given similar results. It is not known that these salts accelerate the action of enzyms or the growth of bacteria, but rather it has been found that these salts, especially salts of copper, greatly retard the bacterial growth. From this it seems reasonable to believe" that there are changes taking place which are not due to either bacterial or enzym action.v Thenature' of the flavors indicates very strongly that an oxidation takes place, in other words the product of oxidized fats resembles in flavor very much the flavor produced in the milk,

cream or butter. The fact that these flavors develop more rapidly in the presence of metallic compounds .wo ld indicate that these compounds act as cat lytic agents, bringing about a more rapid bxidation than would otherwise take place. At the present time it does not appear practicable to handle milk and cream in non-metallic containers and manufacturing apparatus; In other words delivery "containers, cream separators, .pas-

teurizers, ripening vats with cooling devices,

and churns and working devices of strictly non-metallic material are not considered feas ibl. Moreover, if these were practicable eliminating metallic salts would not, inall probability, produce entirely satisfactory results. .Rogers and Gray, The Influence of the Acidity of Cream on the Flavor of Butter. (B. A. 1., Bulletin 114, U. S. Dept. of

Agriculture), have found that acidin cream has an influence on the development of undesirable flavors in butterythat butter may be made'from sweetcream' or unripened cream which does not develop in storage the flavors of oxidation to a marked degree. As in the casaof-metallic salts or metallic compounds it seems very probable that the acid also acts as a catalyticagent. While making butter froin sweet cream gives very satisfactory results, so 'far as-the keeping qualities are concerned such butteriis not wholly satisfactory on account of its being 'wlthoutthe flavors characteristic, of. high class butter.

Referring to milk andcreamfespecially, the I problem has been to secure these products in such condition that they are not changed in flavor, especially under low temperatures cially the fat, a careful consideration of the condition where air is incorporated to the extent that the totalvolume of themixture association of milk and-cream with oxygen may be advisable. V

At the time the milk is drawn from the cow it passes to thepail in such manner as to be continuously mixed with air. The very nature of hand milking is such that air is very intimately incorporated with the milk. With the milkingmachine, while the tendency to incorporate air may be slightly less, yet air is very intimately incorporated. All of the processes of'straining, filtering and pouring the milk from one container to another tend to incorporate air. Practicallyall the devices for heating and cooling milk and cream are such that air is again incorporated. Considering the centrifugal separator, both the cream and milk are thrown through the air from the revolving bowl in a very finely-divided condition against the collecting covers of the separator. It would be vdifiicult to devise a machine of greater apparent eiiiciency for incorporating air with milk or cream than the centrifugal separator. On account of the viscosity of cream much air is retained in this product. This is very readily demonstrated, as will be later described. With practically all of the milk and cream pasteurizers and ripening vats the milk or cream is more or less intimately mixed withrthe air. The process of churning is also a process of very thoroughly mlxing and incorporating air. In most all instances in churning the cream reaches a is more than greater than the original volume of the cream. As the churning progresses some of the air is given up but much is retained in the finished butter. By the process of working the butter more or less air may be incorporated. To further demonstrate that air is actually incorporated in milk, cream and butter I have conducted the following experiments: An ordinary 400 c. c. beaker about half full of fresh cream was placed in a bell .jar and the air slowly exhausted. Bubbles of air immediately began rising through the cream and the volume began expanding. By the time a vacuum of 28 inches was produced the upper a of the volume of cream appeared to be foam and the total volume almost filled the beaker.-

Fresh milk treated in the same manner 'tainers.

dence that air is incorporated with milk,

acted similarly to the cream, howeverthe volume did not increase to the extent of that of the cream and less foam was produced. Undoubtedly this difference was due to a difference in the viscosity of the two products, less air having been retained in The air was then' of air continued to rise through-the water.

By the time a 28 inch vacuum was produced the print of butter was full of cracks which were produced by the expansion and libera- 7 tion of the incorporated air. Attempts were made to packbutter in glass jars and then pump a vacuum on the jar with the intension of sealing the butter in partial vacuum,

but this was \found impracticable, due to the fact that the expansion of the incorporated air forced the butter out of the con- From this I have conclusive evicream and butter'and apparently we have suflicient reasons to believe that the air ex-' .ists in a very finely divided condition and in very close proximity to the other constituents. Being in possession of this information, most of which comes from my own investigation of dairy products I have devised a new and improved process'for milk and its products, which process has for its basis the exclusion .of oxygen, especially the intimately incorporated oxygen. By this process I am able to produce products of superior quality.

The object of this invention is to provide a process for retarding the decomposition of the constituents of milk and cream products, especially cream, pasteurized cream, sterilized cream, milk powder and butter.

It consists substantially in removing the free oxygen, especially the intimately i11- corporated oxygen, by'subjecting the milk and cream'under suitable conditions to a vacuum and subsequently carrying on the various processes of treatment or manufacturing as' separation, homogenizing, pas-- The means and. devices for carrying out the new processes may be of various kinds. One suitable form of apparatus is shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing. 7 The construction and operation of the apparatus is as follows: (a) is an opening regulated by the valve (6) through which the milk and cream may be introduced into being indicated by the combination vacuum and pressure gage (q). The action of the milk or cream may be watched through the glass windows (f) in the doors (g). The milk may be agitated by the agitating device (h) which enters the vacuum chamber through the stufling box and is driven by the gearing (.11). The vacuumchamber is surrounded by the jacket Heat is applied to the milk or cream, preferably by circulating hot water through the jacket, the heating medium being introduced at the point (6') through the pipe (m), and being discharged at the outlet (n), which is regulated by the valve (7). The heat is applied as has just been described until a temperature above the boiling point of the milk or cream, at the vacuum maintained, is reached. The temperature is noted by thethermometer (p). The process of boiling under vacuum is continued until practically all of the free oxygen is removed. All vapor is condensed by the condenser which discharges the condensed liquid back into the milk or cream in the chamber, thereby preventing a change in the composition, especially thewater content of the product being treated.

It has been my practice to treat milk and cream under a vacuum of 28 inches for a period of thirty minutes, during which time the product boils slowly and is continually stirred by means of the agitating device. the end of this period the free oxygen has been sufficiently removed so that the products of oxidation in the final products are not noticeable. Milk or cream is now ready tobe pasteurized, sterilized, churned, or converted into other products.

Referring especially to pasteurization and sterilization the milk or cream may be pasteurized or sterilized in the apparatus described by closing the valve (0) and applying heat in the jacket either by steam or hot water and stirring by means of the agitating device, all of which has been previ-- ously described. By applying steam under pressure in the jacket temperatures sufli ciently high to produce sterile products, by single heatinga'may be produced. The temperature and pressure at all times may be noted by the thermometer and combination pressure and vacuum gage. After pasteurization or sterilization the milk or cream may be cooled by circulating water or other cooling medium through the jacket. It is not essential that. the pasteurization or sterilization be carried on in the apparatus as described, but it may be conducted in any other. suitable apparatus whereby the material incorporation'of free oxygen is prevented, either by conducting the operation in vacuum, in the presence of non-oxidizing gases, or by'careful handling under atmospheric conditions whereby air is not incorporated with the products to an extent sufficient to produce changes and undesirable flavors. To illustrate-I have demonstrated that cr'eam after being treated to remove the free oxygen can be carefully transferred under atmospheric conditions to-suitable containers; the containers then hermetically does not possess the undesirable flavors of ordinary cream sterilized in this manner, is not materially changed in flavor and 18 of very excellent quality. Referring to holding milk and cream-especially at low temperatures, as under refrigeration, the milk and cream after being treated by my process either before, but preferably after pasteurization or sterilization, maybe removed to suitable containers Without the material incorporation of free oxygen and such milk or cream will keep for long periods without the development of flavors of oxidation products. Y

Referring especially to the separation 0 milk and cream after the removal of the free oxygen, of any centrifugal separator which is inclosed in a vacuum chamber. The centrifugal separator may be driven by an electric motor or other suitable device within the vacuum chamber or from external power applied-to a shaft extending througha stuffing box into the vacuum chamber. Also the separation may be carried on in a similar manner but in the presence of non-oxidizing gases. Referring especially to butter making, the cream is preferably treated as has been described, pasteurized, cooled and ripened. During the ripening process enough air is introduced by agitating the cream in the presence of air to bring about a satisfactorydevelopment of the lactic acid Such organisms be- When this temperature is reached'the cream This may be done by means no v is introduced into a churn in a vacuum chamber. Most of the combined churns and butter workers may be used with satisfactory results. The churn and Worker are driven by an electric motor or other suitable device within the chamber, or from external to the chamber and churn, as in removing butter milk introducing wash, water for the butter and salting the butter, etc., the vacuum chamber is preferably closed and a vacuum again pumped before disturbing the cream or butter. In washing the butter it is advisable to use water which has been freshly distilled or boiled .and then reduced to the desired temperature without the re-incor: poration of free oxygen. It is advisable to apply the salt in the form of. brine which I has been previously boiled and reduced to the desired temperature without the incorporation of free oxygen. After the butter is finished it may be removed from the churn and packed in any desired package without re-incorporation of free oXygen or it may be packed in containers and sealed under a partial vacuum.

For the reasons heretofore pointed out sealing butter under vacuum in containers is not practicable with butter made in the ordinary way.

Obviously, instead of having the churn and worker in a vacuum chamber, as has been described, the churn body may form a vacuum chamber. Again, instead of churn ing in vacuum the churning may be conducted in the presence of non-oxidizing gases;

Milk and cream after being treated ,to remove the free oxygen may be converted into other products, as ice cream, or cheese with good results. Also products of a nature similar to milk or cream, in that they contain free oxygen which changes the composition and flavor, may be treated in a manner similar to that described, with advantageous results.

It is obvious that with the apparatus illustrated cream may be purified for butter making, etc., inasmuch as when subjected to a vacuum and heat which will boil it at the low pressure maintained inthe chamber, not only will the free oxygen be drawn off with the vapor, but the vapor will carry ofi' with it other undesirable substances which may have developed in the cream, especially gases and volatile substances. Under such circumstances it will'be understood, of course, that the vapor is not returned to the cream when condensed and it is not essential that it be condensed save for the advantages to be secured thereby n protecting the apparatus and assisting in maintaining a proper degree .of vacuum.

After the removal of the incorporated free oxygen the further treatment by churning, freezing, etc., results in a change in the physical condition, whereby free oxygen will not readily become incorporated therein or will not produce more than superficial 4 chemical changes with the result that the product may be kept indefinitely with the exercise of only reasonable care.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The process of manufacturing products from milk and cream, which consists in sub- 'ecting the same to rarefied conditions and eat to withdraw the incorporated oxygen and in providing the substance with a per centage of water substantially corresponding to the percentage withdrawn in the process whereby the final product has a substantially normal aqueous content.

2. The process of manufacturing prod- I ucts from milk and cream, which consists in heating the milk and cream, withdrawing the incorporated oxygen and aqueous vapor vapor carried off in the process.

4. The process of manufacturing products from milk and cream, which consists in subjecting the same to rarefied. conditions and heat, withdrawing the incorporated oxygen, and restoring to the liquid substantially the percentage of aqueous vapor carried off in the process, and finally agitating the product under non-oxidizing conditions to change its physical condition.

5. The process of manufacturing products from milk and cream, which consists in subjecting the same to rarefied conditions and heat, withdrawing the incorporated oxygen and restoring to the liquid substantially the percentage of aqueous vapor carried ofi in the process and in reducing the temperature and agitating the oxygen freed milk and .cream under nonoxidizing conditions.

CHESTER EARL GRAY.

Witnesses:

FRANK NAZRO, C. M. Gnomnsozq. 

